To settle in the middle, let’s use 80 000 as the figure, which is still a staggering feat of incompetence on the part of the US government, entrusted with keeping its citizens safe.

Over the weekend, MSNBC’s Morning Joe show took a look at President Donald Trump’s shifting rhetoric about the coronavirus, and how he’s conveniently trying to reinvent his early response to the pandemic.

The show’s six-minute montage (above) features the number of infections and deaths superimposed on the right side of the screen and the date of Trump’s comments to the left. The toll mounts as the record of Trump’s remarks unspools…

TRUMP: “Katie, she tested very good for a long period of time, and then all of the sudden she tested positive … this is why the whole concept of tests aren’t necessarily great … today, I guess, for some reason, she tested positive.” 😳 pic.twitter.com/xNFEJn3W9s